It's All in How You See It
by pinkturtle55
Summary: After a bad score on the ACT, Spencer shows Emily that success isn't based on grades, but that you have to make your own standards. Teen Fic. Written for the CCOAC Back to the Basics challenge.


**Here is my response to the CCOAC 19th challenge. The prompts I recieved were Fresh tulips, Spring Break gone wrong, and a cabin by the lake. I hope you enjoy this one shot, and I would love to hear what you think!**

**I do not own Criminal Minds**

"How do you expect to do anything with, with THIS?" Elizabeth Prentiss shouted across the room at Emily with a piece of paper gripped in her hand.

Emily looked in between her mother's red face and the piece of paper that marked her failure. She could feel her own face flush and looked away.

"You look at me Emily Prentiss! All of your spring break plans are over; you are spending the rest of the week in your room studying. I can't believe my own daughter did this badly on the ACT. How do you expect to get into college with this? How do you expect to make anything of yourself?" Elizabeth's voice echoed through the large house.

Emily spun around on her heels and ran up to her bedroom, being sure to slam the door behind her. Letting out a shaky sigh she flopped on her bed, and looked up at the ceiling.

She had wanted to do well, she had even studied, but it was no use. Because Emily Prentiss knew she was stupid. She would never live up to the standards her mother had for her.

She looked out her window at the bright blue sky and the green grass. No matter what her mother said she wasn't going to spend the week in her room.

She took out her cell phone and made a new message.

_Meet me tonight?_

Just seconds later her phone beeped in response.

_Of course_

Emily smiled and rested the phone on her chest. She closed her eyes and waited for night to come.

XXX

When Emily opened her eyes the light from outside was gone and now only the moon shone through her window. She checked the time and was relieved when she saw it was midnight. Grabbing her duffel bag she stuffed it with clothes, a book and her ipod. Then she slung her sleeping bag over her shoulder and pulled on a pair of shoes.

As quietly as she could, Emily opened up her bedroom window and stepped out on to the roof. This wasn't her first time sneaking out of the house and she knew what to do. She took three steps to the right until she dropped her bags on the ground and stepped over to the nearest tree. She climbed down the rest of the way and soon was on the ground with her bags. She put them back over her shoulder and took off.

She ran through streets and backyards until her chest felt like it was burning. She stopped to take a few breathes and then continued on. She knew she was getting close when the houses got fewer and farther in between, and the street lights were gone.

In the dark she almost missed the trail leading into the woods, but the moon directed her towards it. She prayed that he was already there, because she didn't want to be alone.

After taking winding trails through the woods she made it. She breathed a sigh of relief as the cabin came into her view. It wasn't so much a cabin as it was an old shack. It had been abandoned for years, and now held nothing in it. But the only thing that mattered was that no one ever stayed in it.

She knocked softly on the side of the cabin three times and then the front door opened.

She hurried over and dropped her bags on the ground.

"Spencer!" She threw her arms around him and he stumbled backwards.

"Hey Emily," He caught his balance and pulled her in closer, "Are you okay?"

She released her grip and brought her bags in the cabin before answering.

"I got my ACT scores back."

"The studying didn't help?" Spencer asked.

Emily shook her head. Spencer had helped her study everyday for over a month. He was convinced that he could help her do well; after all he got a 36 on his first try.

"I thought my mother was going to kill me." Emily slumped to the ground.

Spencer moved over and sat down next to her. "It's okay Em, I know you tried."

"You don't understand Spencer. You're great, you're smart, and colleges are already offering you full ride scholarships. I'll be lucky if I get into Community College." Emily could feel her eyes mist over, she hadn't even known that she had cared this much.

"You can take it again Emily; you'll do better next time." Reid promised, "I'll help you."

"Because that did so much last time," Emily said bitterly. "Let's just face it, I'm stupid. Like my mother says, I'll never amount to anything in life."

"That's not true!" Reid cut in. He pulled Emily into a side hug. "Go to sleep, things always look better in the morning."

Reid pulled out her sleeping bag and laid it on the ground. Then he placed his own beside hers. Emily got in and zipped it all the way up.

She could feel Spencer wrap his arms around her and eventually let herself drift off into sleep.

XXX

Emily awoke to the smell of cinnamon and slowly opened her eyes. Sitting next to her was a plate of cinnamon rolls and a fresh tulip. She was about to take a bite of her breakfast when she noticed a piece of paper next to it.

_Emily, _

_I don't care what she says, and I don't care what any test says, I'm proud of you. You have always been smart, and I know that you are going to have a great future. Why? Because you're motivated. You don't back down and you don't give up. You showed me the value in that. When you're done with breakfast meet me outside._

_Spencer_

Emily smiled as she read the note. Then when she could no longer help herself she quickly ate two cinnamon rolls. When she was done she set the tulip in a bottle of water and stepped outside.

She saw that Spencer had set up two chairs by the lake and was sitting in one. Emily hurried over and sat next to him.

"Thanks for the breakfast," Then she thought for a moment, "How'd you manage cinnamon rolls?"

"I woke up earlier and got some from the bakery," Reid said as he slipped his hand into Emily's.

"I've got myself a pretty special guy, don't I?" Emily said to herself.

"I think I'm the lucky one." Reid moved on his side to look at Emily. She was beautiful the way the sun bounced off her dark hair, and her cheeks were already pink from the sun.

"You know what we're going to do Emily? We're going to prove them wrong. We are going to show everyone just how smart you are. Not how smart a test says you are, but how you can do anything you want to in life."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Emily demanded.

"What _do_ you want to do when you grow up?" Spencer first asked.

Emily thought for a moment as she looked out at the lake. "I want to help people, and I also want to make people pay for all the horrible things they do."

"Then that's what you'll do. You will reach your goal and you will prove your mother wrong. You will show her what a beautiful, successful, amazing woman you are."

Emily thought about what Spencer had said. She watched as the small blue waves crashed over the shore and she watched birds break the serene water in the center of the lake to eat fish. She looked over to her left and saw Spencer. She saw how handsome he was, and she already knew he had a brilliant mind.

If he believed she had value, then maybe, just maybe it was true.

And that's when Emily made her decision. She would prove her mother wrong. She would do what she wanted, she would help people. It may not be what's considered successful in her mother's book, but Emily didn't care.

No longer would she measure success in the grades she got on tests, or how well she did on the ACT. She would still try, but there were more important things.

She would measure success in how many people she could help. She would measure it in seeing light placed in people's eyes where it had once been gone.

She could measure success in her way, and she would succeed.


End file.
